Hydroforming process and apparatus



Oct. 2, W. P. DREWS AAPPPPPPPAAANC PPAACPSS APP APPARATUS Filed July 2, 1952 Cltztlorfrzez United States Patent i HYDROFORMING PROCES AND APPARATUS William P. Drews, Elizabeth, N. J., assigner to Esso Re- 'search and Engineering Company, a corporation of Delaware Application July 2, 1952, Serial No. 296,789

2 Claims. (Cl. 1945-50) This invention relates to the catalytic conversion of hydrocarbons and particularly to a process and apparatus whereby hydrocarbon fractions boiling within the motor fuel range of low knock rating may be converted into high octane number fuels rich in aromatics by the uidized solids technique.

It is well known that petroleum naphthas can be subjected to reforming operations to yield liquid products boiling within the motor fuel or gasoline range and possessing improved octane numbers. Reforming operations employing solid catalysts, especially hydroforming and aromatization processes are widely used in the petroleum industry. By hydroforming is ordinarily meant a process wherein hydrocarbon fractions boiling within the motor fuel or naphtha range are treated at elevated temperatures and pressures in the presence of certain solid catalysts and hydrogen whereby the hydrocarbon fraction is increased in aromaticity with no net consumption of hydrogen. The term aromatization when used broadly refers to conversions which increase the aromaticity of the hydrocarbon fractions treated. As generally used in the petroleum industry, aromatizatio-n is a process in which hydrocarbon fractions are treated at elevated temperatures in the presence of solid catalysts and in the presence or absence of hydrogen, usually at pressures lower than those employed in hydroforming, for the purpose of increasing the aromaticity of the hydrocarbon fraction. I

Catalytic reforming processes are usually carried out at temperatures of about 750-ll50 F. in the pressure range of about 3000 lbs. per sq. inch and in the presence of such catalysts as molybdenum oxide, chromium oxide, nickel oxide or sulfide or any of a number of oxides or sulfldes of metals of groups IV, V, Vl', VII and VIH of the periodic system. These catalytic materials are usually dispersed or supported on a base or spacing agent. Commonly usedv spacing agents for this type of catalyst are alumina, either precipitated or of the gel type, activated alumina and zinc aluminate spinels.

i It has been proposed in application Serial No. 188,236, led October 3, 1950, now Patent No. 2,689,823, to ef- 'fect the hydroforming of naphtha fractions in a fiuidized solids reactor system in which naphtha vapors are passed through a dense, uidized bed of hydroforming catalyst particles in a reaction zone, spent catalyst particles being withdrawn continuously from the dense bed and passed to a separate regeneration zone where inactivating carbonaceous deposits are removed, whereupon theregenerated catalyst particles are returned to the main reactor vessel. Fluid hydroforming as thus conducted has several fundamental advantages over fixed bed hydroforming such as (l) the operations are continuous, (2) the vessels and equipment can be designed for single rather 'than dual functions, (3) the reactor temperature is substantially constant throughout the reactor bed, and (4) the regeneration or reconditioning of the catalyst may be readily controlled. A particular advantage of the foregoing uid solids 2,765,25l Patented Oct. Z, 1955 operation has been the fact that the freshly regenerated catalyst can be utilized to carry part of the necessary heat requirements for the hydroforming reaction from the regeneration zone into the reaction zone. It has been proposed, in this connection, to discharge hot, freshly regenerated catalyst particles from the regenerated catalyst standpipe into a stream of hot, hydrogen-rich recycle gas in a transfer line whereby the catalyst particles are subjected to a reconditioning treatment during their passage through the transfer line into'the reaction zone involving at least a partial reduction of higher oxides of the catalyst metal formed during regeneration to a form of lower oxide of the catalytic metal which is more catalytically active. In View of the high temperature of the freshly regenerated catalyst (1050-1200" E.) and the exothermic character of the reaction between the hot, freshly regenerated catalyst and the hydrogenrich gas, it is necessary to make the transfer line of small diameter and as short as possible in order to keep the time of contact of the regenerated catalyst and the hydrogen-containing gas sufficiently short to avoid overtreatment and/or thermal degradation of the catalyst.

Operations of this type have been limited to low catalyst to oil ratios (around 1:1) by selectivity considerations since higher ratios resulted in excessive carbon formation. `However, low catalyst to oil ratios limit the transfer of heat from the regenerator to the reactor via the catalyst and make it necessary to provide cooling coils in the regenerator and to provide furnaces or other means for supplying heat to the reactor either directly or indirectly through the reactants and/ or the hydrogenrich recycle gas.

lt is the object of this invention to provide a novel process and apparatus for hydroforming hydrocarbon fractions boiling within the motor fuel range in an advantageous manner by the uidized solids technique.

It is also the object of this invention to provide a process and apparatus for hydroforming hydrocarbon fractions by the uidized solids technique while minimizing the need for cooling coils in the regenerator as Well as for feed stock and recycle gas preheat furnaces.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a process and apparatus for hydroforming hydrocarbon fractions by the uidized solids technique which minimizes the'danger of overtreatment or thermal degradation of the regenerated catalyst.

These and other objects will appear more clearly from the detailed specification and claims set out below.

In accordance with the present invention, the reducer for regenerated catalyst in a uidized solids aromatizer -or hydroformer is mounted within the reactor vessel and is so constructed and operated that reactor catalyst is intermixed with the freshly regenerated catalyst in order to absorb some of the sensible heat of the regenerated 'catalyst and also the heat of reduction of the regenerated catalyst. By arranging the reducer Within the reactor vessel, it is possible to obtain a substantial saving in vessel cost and piping and to simplify heat transfer and operating control.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrat-ing a vertical cross section through a reactor in accordance with the present invention.

AIn the drawing, 10 is a long, vertical shell enclosing an upper reactor zone 11 and a lower regenerator zone 12. A horizontal base Vor partition 13 separates the upper reactor zone from the lower regenerator zone. An inlet line 14 is connected -to ybase member 13 for supplying hydrogen-rich or recycle gas to the bottom of the reactor zone. A perforated plate or grid 15 is preferably arranged across the bottom of the reactor zone 11 in order to distribute the incoming hydrogen-rich gas evenly over lthe entire cross section 4of the reactor zone. An inlet "er'ated catalyst.

.recycle gas is supplied at VLiiat line i6 for supplying khydrocarbon or naphtha `feed is connected to the reactor and preferably terminates in a distributor ring i7 or the like within the reactor. lf desired, the naphtha feed can be combined with the recycle gas and introduced beneath distributor grid l or the grid i5 can be eliminated and the recycle gas and naphtha feed may be introduced through a single ring or separate distributor r'rng's.

Catalyst'is supplied to the Vreactor zone in finely divided condition and is maintained `as a dense, fluidiz'ed, liquidsimulating bed 1 5, having a definite Ylevel 19 by control of the velocity of the gaseous reactant'fluids passing upwardly through the vessel. The vaporous reaction products leaving the dense bed tSfentra-in a small amount of catalyst particles forming a dilute phase o r suspension designated at 23 in the Vupper portionofthe`reactor. The reaction products and entrained catalyst particles are pjas'sed through separating means 21 arranged'in Vthe upper part Vofthe reactor. This separating means, which may be a cyclone separator or thelike, separates the en'- trained catalyst particles from the, vaporous Vreaction produots. The solid v catalyst particles separated in cyclones 21 are returned to the dense bed 18 vthrough dip-legs or'pipes 22 which extend below the upper level 19 'of the dense bed 18. Valve or'damper means and iluidizinggas inlet lines may be provided inthe dip pipes 22 'to control the return of catalyst particles tothe dense bed. The vaporous reaction products leaving the separating means 21 passoverhead throughoutlet line 23 to suitable product recovery and processing equipment.

Catalyst particles flow from the densebed 1'8 through valve controlled connector pipe 24 into standpipe stripper 25. `Stripping gas such as steam or the like is introduced into the standpipe stripper 25 as through inlet line 25. The stripping gas passes countercurrent to the descending catalyst particles and strips o entrained or adsorbed hydrogen Iand light hydrocarbons which pass overhead through connector line 27 into the dilute phase 20 in the upper part of the reactor.

The stripped, spent catalyst particles are discharged from the bottom ofstandpipe 25 through flow restriction 28 into standpipe 29 and thence into the regenerator zone (12. Regeneration gas or air is supplied tothe regenerator zone 12`through inlet line 30. A perforated plate orgrid 3l is preferably provided in the lower part of the regenerator zone 12 to insure unifrm distribution of the regeneration gasover theV entire crossr'sectiion of the regeneratorrzo'ne 12. The velocity of the regeneration gas through the r'egenerator'zone is so controlled as to form a dense, fl uidize`d bed 32 havingadenite level 33. The regeneration gases leaving the dense bed A3'2`entrain Vsmallarnounts of catalystparticles forminga Ydilute or disperse phase 34 in the'upper part of the'regenerator zone. The regeneration gases are tahenthrough outlet lline 35 t-o a cyclone separator 36 o r the like wherein the major part Vof the 'entrained catalyst particles "aie Ysep/arated from the gases, the're'coveredcatalyst'particlespassving through dip pipe '37 back to V the reaction z'oriepretreat Zone or regeneration zone, depending yonpre'ssures fandp'roeess Vconsiderations as will be describedin greater detailbelow. The regeneration or ilue gases pass overhead'from" rator through outletlineand suitable pressurecontrol means to Ya waste gas Astack or to suitable scrubbing andstorage equipmentin the event that it is desired to ut1l1Ze these gases for stripping or'fluidization purposes.

Regenerated catalyst overflows from de nsebed 32 into well 4i! which is lconnected at its bottom to the downflow leg 41 Vof a U-bend transfer line. inert stripping gas such las nitrogen or the like is supplied at42 in order to strip od carbon oxides and -any residual oxygen from 'the regen- A lift gas which may be aninCrt--gas Such as methane or a reducing gas such as hydrogen or the bottom ofthe -upilow leg 44 vof the U-bend transfer line in Iorder to Convey the regenerated catalyst particles rapidly `through upflow leg 44 to the pretreater chamber 45.

The pretreater chamber 45 comprises 'a cylindrical shell member 46 that eXtends from the distributor grid 15 5 near the bottom of the reactor zone `to a point well above the maximum dense 'bed level i9. The shell member 46 should be so arranged with -respect `to the interior of the reactor zone as to permit uniform contact of the `dense bed 18 V'with the eirteriorsurface ofthe shell member to facilitate transfer of atleast part of the lheat of reduction released Vin pretreater 45 through the Walls of the pretreater into `the dense bed 1S. 4One or more orifices 47 are provided .in the wall member 46 to permit flow of reactor catalyst into the pretreater chamber for 'adinixture with the freshly regenerated catalyst discharged from the upper end of upow leg or conduit 44 in order to control the temperature of the catalyst in the pretreater. Hydrogen-rich gas or recycle process gas is supplied to the pretreater 45 at48 and passes upwardly Vthrough the pretreater 45'countercurre'nt to the descending mixture of reactor and regenerated catalyst. Baflles may be `provided inthe pretreater '45 as y`shown in order to improve the contact of the hydrogen-rich :pretreating gas and the catalyst particles. An orifice 49 is provided at the Ibottom of the pretreater chamber for controlling the discharge of pretreated catalyst into 'the dense reactor bed 18. The Spretreating gases pa'ssoverhead from the pretreater zone and are discharged through outlet 50 into the'dilute or disperse/phase 2t) in the upper part of the reactor zone.

fln the hydroformer or aromatizer as shown, thev greater portion of the sensible heat of the regenerated catalysts Well as the heat of reduction yof the regenerated catalyst is effectively transferred into the main reactor bed eitherby beat transfer through the walls'of the reducer or pretreater or by means of circulation of a stream of reactor catalyst `throu'gh'the reducer or pretreater.

The reducer Ior pretreater is run at a 'density somewhat higher than that of the Yreactor bed, and the vresulting liuistatic pressure differential between the two b eds forces a :stream of catalystthrough the orifice 47 into the reducer or pretreater Where it is intermixed with freshly regenerated catalyst discharged from the upper end of conduit 44. This mixture'ows down'wardthroughthe rfeduee'r Vpretreater countercurrent to pretreating gas supplied through inlet 48 and re-eniters the reactor bed through the Iorifices at the bottom ofthe reducer or Vpre treater. A part 'of ythe heat is also'tr'ansferred Vdirectly to I the reactor bed through the rreducer or pretreater walls. Interbed `catalyst c'icl'ilation is set'by `sizingthe rl'ces 'and `adjusting the reducer bed 'density 'by gas rate, Aandreducertemperature is self-controlling, being afun'c'tion of the ternpcature differential betweenthe reducer bed `and 'the reactory bed.

The advantages nof this -system Aover Aan arrangement with' the Yired'ucer mounted eternall'y of the reactor lare as follows:

l. The reducer is fless epe'n'sive construction, diie tof thfeelirninatin 'of lining and pressure `constrctio`n.

'2. 'P ipin'g is"cnsi`der'ab`ly simplilied and 'several slide valves and rexparisionjoints"are`eliminatd Thepetreater or reducer is 'somewhatsmallerfor a vc'iircula'tin (since part of the he'at is transferred through theiredu'ce'r'lwalls).

65 4. lt*ispra'cticallyimpossibleforlthe'reducer'to vr- ,5 .'Contr'ol is simplified because of thei'freernning catalyst circuit and the self-controlling 'featiires.

Thefed ror charging stock tothe reforming "`reactr iiay be avirgnnaphtha, `a cracked naphthafa `Fischer- `Ti'op'sch naplitha'or'vthe like having a boiling v'rangedf fromabout A13T-430 F. or a narrow boiling'frac'tion within this rrangd-'for example, a f raction `havi1 ig`a boiling range of from 13G-185 F. The *feed stock isprehelttd .lne or injadmixture with hydrogen-rieh-recycle gas to reaction temperature or to the maximum temperature possible while avoiding thermal degradation of the feed stock. Ordinarily, preheating of the feed stock is carried out to temperatures of about 800-1050 F., preferably about 1000 F. The uaphtha preheat can be carried out to high temperatures while avoiding thermal degradation thereof by limiting time of residence of the feed stock in the preheat furnace and in the transfer and feed inlet lines. The hydrogen-rich or recycle process gas, which contains from about 50-80 vol. per cent or more of hydrogen, is preheated to temperatures of about 1150-1300 F., preferably about 1200u F. prior to the introduction thereof into the inlet line. The recycle gas should be circulated through the reactor zone at a rate of from about 100G-8000 cu. ft. per barrel of feed. The amount of recycle gas used is preferably the minimum amount that will suce to introduce the necessary heat of reaction and keep carbon formation at a low level.

The reactor system is charged with a mass of finely divided reforming catalyst. Suitable catalysts include group VI metal oxides, such as molybdenum oxide, chromium oxide or tungsten oxide or mixtures thereof upon a carrier such as activated alumina, zinc aluminate spinel or the like. Preferred catalysts contain about 5 to 15 wt. percent molybdenum oxide or from about 10 to 40 wt. percent chromium oxide upon a suitable carrier. If desired, minor amounts of stabilizers and promoters such as silica, calcium oxide, ceria or potassia can be included in the catalyst. The catalyst particles are, for the most part, between 200 and 400 mesh in size or about -200 microns in diameter with a major proportion between 20 and SO microns.

The reforming reactor vessel should be operated at temperatures between 800 F. and ll50 F. and at pressures between about and about 500 lbs. per sq. inch. The particular temperature and pressure used is governed principally by the nature of the feed stock and the nature of the end product desired. For example, a narrow boiling hexane-rich fraction is preferably reformed in contact with a chromia-alumina catalyst at temperatures of about 1000l025 F. and at pressures of about -50 lbs. per sq. inch gauge while a ZOO-350 F. boiling range naphtha is preferably reformed in contact with a molybdenum oxide-alumina catalyst at temperatures of about 900-925" F. and at pressures of about 200 lbs. per sq. inch gauge. Lowering reactor pressure ordinarily results in increased carbon formation while increasing reactor pressure results in an increase in catalyst selectivity to light products of (Cts and lighter). The regenerator zone is normally operated at temperatures of about l050-l200 F. and at essentially the same pressure as the reactor zone to facilitate ilow between the several vessels. The residence time of the catalyst in the reactor is of the order of from about 0.5 to 5 hours and in the regenerator of from about 3 to minutes. Regeneration is ordinarily conducted with an excess of air or with such amounts of air that there will be some free oxygen in the ue gases from the regenerator and the catalytic metal will be converted to a higher oxide during regeneration.

The weight ratio of catalyst to oil introduced into the reactor should be about 0.3/1 to 3.0/1. Space velocity or the weight in pounds of feed charged per pound of catalyst in the reactor depends upon the age or activity level of the catalyst, the character 0f the feed stock and the desired octane number of the product. Space velocity for molybdenum oxide on alumina gel or a chromiaalumina catalyst may vary, for example, from about 1.5 wt./hr./wt. to about 0.15 wt./hr./wt. The temperature in the regenerator is maintained between about 1050 and 1200 F., preferably at the maximum temperature that the catalyst can withstand in order that a maximum amount of heat can be transferred to the reaction zone as sensible heat of the regenerated catalyst. The reduction of the higher catalytic metal oxides formed in the regenerator is highly exothermic and results in a substantial temperature rise which may be of the order of about F. The temperature rise is dependent upon the nature of the catalyst, i. e. whether a chromiaor molybdena-containing catalyst, as well as upon the amount of catalytic metal oxide present in the catalyst. In the event that hydrogen-containing gas is supplied through line 43 to lift the regenerated catalyst through upflow leg 44, it should be supplied at such a rate as to convey the regenerated catalyst as rapidly as possible into the pretreater reducer, preferably in a matter of about 2 to 5 seconds. It is also necessary to supply reactor catalyst to the pretreater reducer 45 at a suicient rate to absorb this heat of reaction. The ratio of reactor catalyst to regenerator catalyst added to the pretreaterreducer will vary somewhat depending upon the temperature at which the reactor zone is operated or upon the spread or difference between the temperature maintained in the regenerator zone and the reactor zone. The amount of reactor catalyst supplied to the pretreaterreducer should be sucient to prevent a temperature rise of more than a few degrees, preferably not more than 10 F. above the regenerator temperature. The residence time of the catalyst in the pretreatment or reducing zone may be from about 0.5 to minutes.

The foregoing description contains a limited number of embodiments of the present invention. It will be understood, however, that numerous variations or moditications may be made by those skilled in this art without departing from the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a process for reforming hydrocarbons in contact with finely divided reforming catalysts in accordance with the uidized solids technique, the improvement which comprises continuously withdrawing a stream of catalyst particles from a dense lluidized bed of catalyst particles within the reactor zone, regenerating the withdrawn cata- Ilyst particles by burning carbonaceous deposits therefrom at elevated temperatures in a lseparate regenerator zone, withdrawing a stream of regenerated catalyst particles from the regenerator zone and discharging the withdrawn regenerated catalyst particles into a separate pretreater zone, arranged within and in heat exchange relation to the dense lluidized bed of catalyst particles within the reactor zone, 'supplying hydrogen containing gas to the pretreater zone in order to reduce higher catalytic metal oxides formed in the regeneration to a lower, more catalytically active form of catalytic metal oxide, discharging catalyst from the dense uidized bed in the reactor zone into the pretreater zone in sufficient amount to absorb a ysubstantial amount of the sensible heat as well as the heat of reduction of the regenerated catalyst and prevent the temperature of the catalyst in the pretreater from exceeding the temperature of the catalyst in the regenerator passing the mixture of reactor and regenerated catalyst downwardly through the pretreater-reduction zone countercurrent to the stream of hydrogen containing gas and discharging said mixture from the bottom of said pretreating zone into the dense, lluidized bed of catalyst particles within the reactor zone.

2. A reactor comprising in combination a main reactor vessel, an auxiliary pretreating vessel arranged within and extending substantially the entire vertical height of the main reactor vessel, a conduit for discharging freshly regenerated catalyst near the midpoint of the pretreating vessel, an orifice in the wall yof the pretreating vessel near the outlet end of said conduit, an inlet for supplying hydrogen-containing pretreating gas into the lower part of the pretreating vessel, an outlet at the top of the pretreating vessel for discharging pretreating gases into the upper part of the reactor vessel and an outlet in the bottom of said pretreating vessel for discharging solid catalyst particles into the lower part of the reactor vessel.

(References on following page) UNITED SIAT-Esgmmrs,

Voorhees` Jan. 2; 1945i Belchetz` June 3, 1947' Hengstebeczk Oct. 19., 19481` Leerl Jan. 25, 1949 Munday Jan. I4, 1949 8 Anderson Feb. 13, 1951 Orescan; lune 29,1951' Trainer etal; Nov. 18; 1952` Trainer Ve1: al. Mar. 18;, 19537 Brown et a1; Oct. 13; 1953 Weikart ,Jahn. 25; 19532 

1. IN A PROCESS FOR REFORMING HYDROCARBONS IN CONTACT WITH FINELY DIVIDED REFORMING CATALYSTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FLUIDIZED SOLIDS TECHNIQUE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING A STREAM OF CATALYST PARTICLES FROM A DENSE FLUIDIZED BED OF CATALYST PARTICLES WITHIN THE REACTOR ZONE, REGENERATING THE WITHDRAWN CATALYST PARTICLES BY BURNING CARBONACEOUS DEPOSITS THEREFORM AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES IN A SEPARATE REGENERATOR ZONE, WITHDRAWING A STREAM OF REGENERATED CATALYST PARTICLES FROM THE REGENERATOR ZONE AND DISCHARGING CATALYST PARTICLES REGENERATED CATALYST PARTICLES INTO A SEPARATE PRETREATER ZONE, ARRANGED WITHIN AND IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION TO THE DENSE FLUIDIZED BED OF CATALYST PARTICLES WITHIN THE REACTOR ZONE, SUPPLYING HYDROGEN CONTAINING GAS TO THE PRETREATER ZONE IN ORDER TO REDUCE HIGHER CATALYTIC METAL OXIDES FORMED IN THE REGENERATION TO A LOWER, MORE CATALYTICALLY ACTIVE FORM OF CATALYTIC METAL OXIDE, DISCHARGING CATALYST FROM THE DENSE FLUIDIZED BED IN THE REACTOR ZONE INTO THE PRETEATER ZONE IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO ABSORB A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THE SENSIBLE HEAT AS WELL AS THE HEAT OF REDUCTION OF THE REGENERATED CATALYST AND PREVENT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CATALYST IN THE PRETREATER FROM EXCEEDING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CATALYST AND PREVENT ERATOR PASSING THE MIXTURE OF REACTOR AND REGENERATED CATALYST DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE PRETEATER-REDUCTION ZONE COUNTERCURRENT TO THE STREAM OF HYDROGEN CONTAINING GAS AND DISCHARGING SAID MIXTURE FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID PRETREATING ZONE INTO THE DENSE, FLUIDIZED BED OF CATALYST PARTICLES WITHIN THE REACTOR ZONE,. 